Ninmu Kanryo
by Saishi
Summary: Quatre's coming home, and the other pilots are making sure everything's perfect... especially one of them. Warings: None, really, unless you have a sap allergy. 3+4 story.


Ninmu Kanryo  
-------------------  
  
  
My hands moved quickly, seperating each bit of greenery from the delicate blooms they surrounded. I hardly noticed anything around me, although there was nothing to fear now. No one would sneak up, pistol drawn. No... it was over, finally. The world celebrated its Christmas, with the knowledge that peace between the colonies and the Earth Sphere was complete. It wasn't perfect, not yet... but that could change. It *would* change, if people kept their hopes intact. That was all I lived on now, hope. Hope that the fighting was truly over, hope that we would be safe... hope that I wouldn't be alone any longer. The fragrant petals slip over my fingers like silk, their scent clinging to my skin. I think I'm smiling, but I can't be sure. Everything has to be perfect for this... he's coming home today.  
  
Duo is already gone, he'll be returning soon, bringing him home. He'll likely wonder why I wasn't there... or maybe he'll just attribute it to one of my strange 'quirks'. That's what he calls them. They aren't flaws in his eyes, only differing facets of what makes me who I am. In his eyes, I could fly if I tried hard enough. For him... I would. The roses are at their peak, a few of the soft flowers half-opened to the sun while the others remain as buds, the petals barely peeking open as if to see what all the fuss is about. I know he loves them, and I'll make certain that he gets to enjoy them while he recovers. I know that he's fine... and that he'll likely rebel against being told he can't do everything he wants. But we'd already talked to Sally, and he's to rest, regardless of what his pride indicates. Dorothy's sword did more damage than expected, and it's been nearly two weeks since he was taken from us after the Libra incident.   
  
'Incident'. That's what they're calling it now. The largest threat, literally, to ever have been thrown at the Earth Sphere, and it's now considered an 'incident'. People have a way of underestimating the past, and that will always remain the same. I only hope that it doesn't cause us to repeat it later in life. Picking up the bowl of flowers, I get to my feet, heedless of the deep green stains that now decorate each knee. Wufei had been amazed that I knew anything about plants, let alone how to make something like this. We each have our own affinities, I'm certain. I, for one, never knew just how well Duo could cook. We'd nearly seperated completely after the war, but we'd somehow been drawn to each other again. Heero came and went, as was his wont to do. Wufei was much the same. The only two who hadn't left this place so far were myself and Duo, and I attribute that to both of us having been alone far too long in life. Oh, the circus was nice to return to, but I couldn't shake the idea that I was alone even there... I craved the company of people who had been through what I had. Those who had seen the same things my own eyes had witnessed. It was a shred of sanity that I was far too reluctant to let go of.  
  
One toe pushes against the door, opening it slowly so that it doesn't crash back against the wall. That particular door had already frightened the wits out of myself and Duo on more than one occasion... the slightest provocation and it would swing open with such force that we were nearly afraid of breaking the glass. We both kept saying we would fix it, but it hadn't happened quite yet. There were other things to do, after all. The house had been kept up before we arrived, that much was obvious. It was clean, and the kitchen was well stocked, much to Duo's glee. I was half worried that he'd make himself sick the first night we spent here... then again, this is Duo I'm talking about. Sick? Never. He'd laid out a variety of finger foods on a tablecloth that he'd absconded from the pantry, poured us drinks and we proceeded to have a 'carpet picnic' as he called it, on the living room floor while he introduced me, Heero and Wufei to the myriad world of American adventure movies. We'd only been watching them for about an hour, switching between films, before we realized that none of them seemed quite as 'action filled' as they'd stated. Maybe it was just our own jaded perceptions. After all... how many actors can claim to have stopped the destruction of the world OFF camera?  
  
There had been minor things that needed done around the house when we'd first gotten there. We'd aired it out for starters, and Heero had taken it upon himself to thoroughly check the roof and outer structure for any repairs that needed to be made. Wufei took on the bedrooms, getting them ready for all of us and staking his own claim on one. Even though he and Heero knew they wouldn't stay long, it was common knowledge that they WOULD be back and would need a place to call their own. Duo checked over the kitchen, making a list of utensils we would need that weren't already here. He put up with the crack comments about his lack of cooking skill quite stoically and shocked the three of us into silence our second night there when we walked into the kitchen to find an elaborate meal waiting for us. No one has uttered a derogatory remark about Duo in the kitchen since that night.   
  
I took it upon myself to tend to the gardens. I knew how much Quatre loved being outdoors on Earth. It was so different from the colony he'd been raised on, and he seemed to bloom much like the flowers themselves when he was allowed to simply relax in the light of the sun. I had noticed, after all... whether he realized it or not. No, he had to have known. I hadn't missed the glances he'd cast my way since the moment we'd met and I'm fairly certain that he had noticed mine as well. Why two people with such obvious affection for each other couldn't just come out and let it be known is beyond me. Apparently it was beyond Duo as well, as he'd told me... on several occasions... very loudly.  
  
I'd barely stepped across the threshold to Quatre's room when I heard that infernal door slam into the wood of the wall downstairs. It was followed my a muffled curse and apology, but it was the lilting laughter and soft words of reassurance that made my heart soar.   
  
He was home.  
  
Moving quickly, I placed the bowl in its place upon the dark cherrywood of the nightstand and stepped back to admire my handiwork. I can't really claim all responsibility for this... only the differing colours of the flowers that mingle with the deep jeweltones of the room itself. It was Wufei who had come in and meticulously cleaned this particular room from top to bottom and had made sure everything was spotless for Quatre's arrival. Heero had repaired one of the sets of french doors that opened onto the stone balcony so that to either side of the bed itself, those doors could open wide and allow the fragrant garden breeze to enter. Duo had spent nearly all of the day before moving the wrought iron table and chairs from the yard below up through the house and out onto the balcony itself, so that Quatre would have a place to rest outside of the house. It was close enough that he wouldn't strain himself, and we knew it would be an uphill battle to keep him within four walls for long. This way he would be happy, and Sally wouldn't murder us for letting him exhaust himself.  
  
Those doors were opened now, the curtains pulled back to let the sun shine through against the burgundy carpeting. I made one final pass through the room to make sure all was in order before the door opened behind me. Duo was in first, setting down a single bag and sparing a soft smile for me before he turned and walked out. I barely noticed, however... my eyes were locked onto the figure that walked in behind him, crystalline aqua eyes widened in disbelief. His steps slowed and he seemed to stagger as he took in all that was before him. Within an instant, I was at his side, helping him to the bed to sit.   
  
No words came from his parted lips... but when I moved to step back, his hand caught hold of my own and tightened gently for just a brief moment. The smile on his face lit the room far more than any amount of sunlight or simple flowers could. I could hear his breath catch in his throat as he tried to find his voice once more, but neither of us could quite bring ourselves to shatter the perfect tranquility of the moment. I found myself being urged closer, and I responded without even thinking. As his lips pressed against my own, I could taste the salt tang of his tears where they'd slipped down his cheeks. This... was all the thanks I needed and was more than I could ever expect. He was happy, regardless of tears... part of me now understood his 'uchuu no kokoro' far more deeply than I'd ever hoped. It was the singular knowledge that I'd had a part in bringing that smile to his face... and that no matter what the future may hold, I would spent every waking hour making certain that sadness never troubled him again.  
  
This is what we fought for...  
  
This is what we've won.  
  
Ninmu kanryo... 


End file.
